Accused killer of Tennessee deputy captured after three-day manhunt

This 2017 photo provided by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows Steven Wiggins, who is a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Tennessee sheriff's deputy on Wednesday. (AP)

A Tennessee man accused of gunning down a Dickson County Deputy has been taken into custody — bringing an end to a desperate three-day manhunt.

Trooper Kevin Burch, who only recently began working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, spotted a man near the wood line off Stinson Road Friday morning. As the officer approached him, he realized the man’s tattoos and description were consistent with a suspect wanted in the murder of Dickson County Sgt. Daniel Baker.

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Steven Wiggins, 31, was taken into custody by officials without incident in Hickman County, not far from the scene of the shooting, Highway Patrol Lt. Col. Dereck Stewart said during a press conference late Friday morning.

Baker responded to reports of suspicious vehicle around 7 a.m. Wednesday. He’d come in ahead of schedule to support those finishing up the midnight shift amid staffing issues at the police department, according to Dickson county Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe.

“Being the man that he is, he came in early to assist,” he said. “It all escalated from there.”

Fellow officers eventually lost contact with Baker and tracked his patrol car using GPS navigation. When they arrived on the scene, they found the sergeant shot dead inside his vehicle.

Later in the day, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations put Wiggins on its Top 10 most wanted list, with multiple law enforcement agencies contributing to a $46,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Wiggins was arrested in connection to the death of Dickson County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Daniel Baker on Friday. (TBI / Handout)

Authorities have not revealed a possible motive for the slaying, but said they were able to quickly identify Wiggins using surveillance footage.

Wiggins, who has a lengthy rap sheet dating back more than a decade, was wanted on multiple arrest warrants at the time of the fatal confrontation with Baker, a 32-year-old father and former Marine.

Following his arrest, the suspect was taken to a hospital where he is currently being treated for injuries “consistent with someone who has been out in the wilderness for an extended period of time,” officials said.

He will be taken to the Dickson County Jail upon his release and restrained with the slain officer’s handcuffs.

Erika Castro-Miles Wednesday night was also arrested and charged with the deputy’s murder. According to court documents cited by the Tennessean, Castro-Miles was sitting in the car with Wiggins when he fatally shot Baker. She fled the scene and was found hiding under a house a short time later.

“There are no words to describe the level of devastation myself and my family are dealing with,” she said, requesting the community help her young daughter to always remember her father’s bravery.

Bledsoe continued, pausing several times to hold back tears: “His dedicated service to his country and community will always be remembered.”

The sheriff also emphasized that while he is proud to have the suspects in custody, that closure is still a far way off. He vowed to see all involved in the deadly incident tried and brought to justice.

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“If they have to wheel me into that courthouse I will be there,” he said.

Both Castro-Miles and Wiggins have been charged with first-degree murder. The district attorney in a press release said he will be seeking the death penalty against both suspects.